Twitter 'in talks' to show US PGA Championship in UK

Twitter, the social media giant, is in negotiations to secure the digital streaming rights in the UK to golf’s US PGA Championship this year, it has been reported.

According to sources cited by the UK’s Financial Times, the social media website is in talks with the PGA of America, which organises the fourth and final major of the year.

Last week, it was revealed that Sky, the UK pay-television operator, would not be televising this year’s tournament, which takes place at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, North Carolina on 10 to 13 August, after its previous 10-year deal was not renewed.

The PGA of America said on Thursday that it was looking at options involving “all platforms."

Twitter has already been streaming some live golf events, after securing a season-long agreement with US golf’s PGA Tour In January.

The platform
is the exclusive global platform to distribute, on a free basis, coverage of 31
tournaments from the 2016-17 season.

The deal
concludes with the season-ending Tour Championship in September.

A UK "free-to-air" broadcaster such as the BBC could be in the running to pick up some rights to the US PGA Championship, according to Financial Times sources.

It is understood that the new digital and TV agreements for this year’s tournament will total $10 million.

Having won
the live rights to the British Open traditionally shown by the BBC, 2016 was
the first year that Sky could boast live coverage of all the majors, on top of
the European Tour and PGA Tour.